Nautiscarader's Summer Wendip Week Prompt 2: Dance
by nautiscarader
Summary: Mabel invites her friends to an unusual wedding.


Five figures were running through the woods of Gravity falls, following another one, constantly cheering them up.

\- Come on, guys, we can't get late!  
\- Mabel, slow down!  
\- Can you explain one more time what you've been up to? You just dragged us expecting us understand what you've been shouting about. - asked Dipper, grateful to see that his sister stopping, finally listening to him once.  
\- I told you guys. - Mabel groaned, turning around - I found these fairies in the woods and it turned out they will be having a wedding today and we're all invited! We can't lose any more time! - she said before dashing deeper into the woods.

Sadly, it made as much sense as it did an hour ago. The group followed her and continued their hurried march through the woods, noticing more and more hollowed trees and seemingly motionless puddles of water, as well as some other uncanny rock formations that almost looked natural. Almost.  
At some point, the flowery bed underneath became filled with more and mushrooms, forming various shapes on the ground, which according to Dipper's journals was a tell-tale sign of fairy activities. Soon enough they noticed that the mushrooms were slowly forming two parallel lines, almost like a path... or a runway.

It took them a moment to see what it was leading to - a series of ropes of fern and ivy hung from interwoven branches of two nearby, old trees, forming a colossal leafy curtain, separating the open forest from much thicker, almost impenetrable glade. It was initially difficult to see, because of the leaves falling from them. But what looked from afar like a storm of petals turned out to be a huge wave of vibrant fairies, flying from around the forest using said leaves as dresses and tuxedos of various shapes and sizes.

The group, hidden behind a bush gave out a collective "Ooh!", observing the ephemeral migration happening in front of their eyes.

\- Mabel, did they all come for that one wedding? - Dipper asked, browsing his own notes.  
\- Well, it's not just a wedding. It's a royal one! - Mabel exclaimed.

She spun around making her sweater fill out with air, proving that it was a few sizes too big for her. But when she stopped moving and the elongated piece of clothing finally revealed its scale, the spectators was surprised what Mabel was really wearing.

\- A dress! - shouted Candy  
\- Still a sweater...? - queried Dipper  
\- Nope, it's a dressweater! Tuck in your pants - it becomes a sweater. You have a spontaneous ball coming in a few minutes - it's a dress! And I made a bunch of them for you!

Mabel happily handed out two copies of her dressweaters from her backpack to Candy and Grenda, who scurried behind another bush to try them on. She was about to hand a third, much bigger one to Wendy, but she politely refused, explaining something about maintaining a "Courduroy style". She has, however, took her hat off, which dipper welcomed with the skip of a heartbeat, admiring her long, red hair every time she wasn't looking.

\- And what about me and Soos, Mabel? - Dipper interrupted - You're not gonna tell me you made a sweater...suits?  
\- No, but I had something better! - she sang, buttoning a small black bowtie around his neck. - It's not a real one, but it's emergency, so that will have to do.  
\- Sweet! That's more like it! - Wendy added, taking another for herself and passing the third one to Soos.

The six teenagers, now properly dressed, (or at least accessoried) emerged from behind the bush, walking slowly towards the leafy gates, observing the nearby fairies giving them contemptuous looks.

\- Mabel, are you sure they're not gonna freak out because of us? We're like, bajilion times bigger than them! - whispered Dipper  
\- And we can't fly! Or use magic! - added Soos, equally concerned about their presence.  
\- Nah, I warned them about us. - she calmly replied, taking a very small leaf from her backpack and passing it to the door-fairy, who flew to meet her height.

The blue long-nosed fairy opened the leaf, glanced at the six monstrous figures in front of him from his monocle and simply waved his hand.

\- Miss Mabel and her... plus five.  
\- That's us! - she cheered, poking his brother to make him form some sort of polite fake smile.  
\- The King was awaiting your arrival, miss Mabel.

If the entire escapade made Mabel's friends surprised, then that bit of information completely dumbfounded them.

\- The king?! Mabel, are you trying to tell me that after the gnomes and mermen you decided to pick fairies? - Dipper raised his voice - Because if so, then I'll be a very angry brother-in-law.  
\- Oh, Dipper, don't worry. - she calmed him down, taking the edges of her dressweater and gently lifting them up while crossing the door. - I'm not getting married, I just played a little bit of match-maker to marry them, that's all!

Upon hearing that word, Dipper's eyes widened and he dashed towards her, wanting to prevent her from entering the glade, just in case her good-natured actions decided to take an usual, unexpected wrong turn. He passed through the curtain and was about to scoff her, when he saw what kind of place they have entered.  
They were standing in an almost idyllic green clearing, circular in form; thick, old trees were creating walls and - for lack of better words - columns, with branches forming a sturdy, rounded canopy that filtered the orange afternoon light into a multicoloured caleidoscope.

\- Pretty nice, isn't it?

The rest of the group gasped one more time, marvelling at the sights around them.

\- Mabel, how exactly _did_ you got that invitation? - Wendy asked, more than slightly sceptical.

Mabel's smile faded out a bit, and she started circling a nearby rock, explaining her actions.

\- So, I was in the woods one day, and I found these fairies, and they felt all alone, being sad, moping and doping, all lovesick, so I fixed them together! And now they are happy! Isn't that amazing?

The other five figures kept staring at the girl, explaining her amazing plan through complicated hand gestures.

\- There was Thesaurus, who loved Hippocrita, Tytanic was in love with Tobleron, Mustardseed, who I guess had to go with Ketchup...  
\- Mabel... how did you know who really loved whom? - Candy asked, now equally anxious about her friend's hasty decision.  
\- Oh, you know, guys, it's the intuition. - she said, fiddling with her hair - I mean, I'm the match-maker, aren't I?  
\- You just used the love potion, didn't you? - Dipper quickly added.  
\- No!  
\- Yes.  
\- Maybe...  
\- Yes.  
\- Yes.

Five pairs of eyes were now staring at the girl sitting in front of them, her brother's scrutinising her behaviour the most.

\- Mabel, you can't just use it on everyone! Don't you remember what happened last time?  
\- But they were in love! I heard them talking about it, they just need a bit of a push. - she whined.  
\- And that's how they invited you? - Wendy inquired

Mabel's face brightened with satisfaction.

\- Well, I just gave the entirety of fairy-dom a new king and queen, that's an achievement, isn't it? ]  
\- Alright, Mabel, but if it all falls down, then you're gonna be the one responsible for it. - Dipper sighed, turning around to see if their conspicuous gathering caught any more attention than their presence already.

Fortunately, it seemed that the fairies were preoccupied with much more important even happening at the other end of the glade.

\- Uh, guys, I think the wedding just begun!

And indeed, the silence fell in the glade, just before the air inside was filled with the delicate and intricate (as well as slightly impossible, as denoted by Dipper) sound of bellflowers being pushed back and forth by fairies on each side of the clearing. The same tranquillity was quite abruptly interrupted by a loud sobbing from the back of the forest cathedral.

\- What's wrong, Soos?  
\- Sorry, guys, I always cry at weddings. I mean, I only saw one on TV, where the couple was beheaded...  
\- ...you mean "betrothed"? - Wendy corrected him.  
\- Nope, beheaded. You think it could've been made-up? It had that chick who turned into a dragon...

The ceremony, though elegant and grand, did not differ that much from a typical wedding - perhaps aside the fact that everything, from the participants to the glasses was twenty times smaller. The six of the largest guests found their seats at the old log at the very end of the glade, from where they could observe the entire ceremony. Dipper was particularly interested in seeing other fairies reactions, afraid that his sister might have messed something up. And when he looked at her, he sadly saw the same worrying look in her eyes. These thoughts, however, were silenced by a round of applause echoing through the glade when the newly-wed pair shared their first official kiss as king and queen. Grenda, sitting next to him erupted into a loud cry, and Dipper was surprised to see that even Wendy has shed a tear or two, though she tried to hide it at all costs.

\- And now, a present, for our special guests. - the King's voice magically boomed through the hall - A human girl named Mabel, without whom I would have never been able to see the beauty of my wife! And her friends as well! They deserve presents as well!

The crowd once more broke into loud, but audibly forced applause. The _humans_ noticed at once how at least some of the fairies looked when king spoke about them. Their concerns were pushed aside when three fairies flew towards Mabel, slowly carrying an enormous - for their size at least - flowery wreath. Mabel quickly got up from her rock and bowed her head to make their landing a little easier.

\- Oh you, guys, that's nothing, you didn't have to!  
\- Did she really said that's nothing? I don't remember when I had to pull an all-nighter like that... - Dipper overheard one of the grumpy fairy workers whizzing next to his ear.

Five more crowns flew seemingly on their own into air, each being carried by three or four fairies, each one ending on the heads of the adventurers.

\- And now, let the dance begin!

At that moment the human guests saw where the orchestra was situated - far above their line of sight, each branch of the tree was now occupied by several fairies with their musical instruments, ready to perform. Not sure how to behave on a wedding that extraordinary, they decided to wait through the first dance - after all, it belonged to the king and the queen. They made the right choice, as the rest of the fairies lined up with the walls, leaving the centre of the glade for the newly-wed couple.

One could see that the girls waiting on the log were itching for a dance, even without a partner. But when king Tobleron asked Mabel to dance - once more expressing his eternal gratitude - both Grenda and Candy found two nobles to dance with, which Dipper thought must have been a last minute order, as none of gentlefairies looked particularly comfortable.  
To his surprise, the music has changed - the slow and graceful waltz from a minute a go morphed into more up-beat tune, bringing all the pairs back onto the dance floor. Dipper nervously kept looking at the red-hair standing not a meter away from him, moving back and forth in the rhythm of somewhat eclectic fairy beat. He wanted to ask her to dance, of course, but oddly enough, he felt even more exposed than in any other parties they have been to, despite having very little competition.

Remembering his past failures with over-complicated plans, he moved boldly towards her, only to trip on a mound of grass, ungracefully bumping into her.

\- Dipper?  
\- I, uh, I was just... walking past the wall to... - the terrified boy started apologising profusely.  
\- You wanna dance?

Not waiting for an answer, Wendy grabbed Dipper and spun him around herself, forming what otherwise would be thought as a dance figure. His world stopped spinning for a moment brief enough to notice at least how other fairies danced that to that particular piece of music.

\- Wendy, I don't think I know how to dance tha-  
\- Shh. Chill out and just dance, no one cares! - she whispered.

With newly gained confidence, Dipper stopped nervously clutching her friend's arms and gently took her hands, trying to mimic the fairies moves'. He wasn't sure what kind of opening figure - to the left, or to the right - should he begin with, but fortunately enough Wendy took the initiative, twirling around to the dance floor. The upbeat music now reminded him of some country dance barn parties, though played on slightly more sophisticated instruments.

But neither the tone, nor the style mattered. He was able to only look agape at the only stationary element of his world right now - the beaming face of his crush, now dancing with him, probably in a way that dance was never supposed to be performed.  
Part of him wished that Wendy accepted Mabel's gift, just so his vision of dancing with her could come to life in all of its glory. But then again, just holding her hands while dancing was enough to fuel his lovesickness.

Spinning once more, Wendy did one final push, lifting the young Pines from the ground, this time with a help of centrifugal force. For a very short moment Dipper felt as if he was one of the fairies, flying with Wendy, staring directly at him. Dipper was sure her eyes gleamed with colours he wasn't able to notice before, as if some magic was really happening around them. That illusion did not last long, as he was brought down to earth approximately at the same moment his body was brought down to the ground. His shoe collided with one of the branches, interrupting the harmonious moves of their body system, making the two teenagers topple to the soft, flowery dance floor.

Dipper heard a series of cries from the fairies dancing somewhere high above them, as well a muffled voice of his sister and her friends.

\- Wendy? You alright?

To his relief, instead of grimace of pain or sadness, he saw a smile forming on her face.

\- Dude, couldn't have been better. Where else could you fall on the dance floor and feel so cool about it?

And it was true; Dipper no longer cared about the commotion they made. For all he cared, the only thing that matter was the fact that their faces has never been closer. Dipper has noticed that her flower crown has moved a bit over her eye, and extended his hand to pull it back.

Suddenly Wendy closed her eyes, puckering her lips into a shape that so far Dipper has seen only in his boldest of dreams. Though nervously, he immediately followed her, moving his hand to her cheek, closing his eyes and leaning forward, letting the magical atmosphere - and a complete lack of love potion - do the rest.

Then, instead of a kiss, a sudden and loud noise filled his ears, followed by surprisingly strong rush of moist air hitting his face at the same moment when the love of his life sneezed just a few inches from his face.  
Dipper opened his eyes and kept staring at Wendy for a while longer, coming to realisation that their sweet private moment was probably never going to happen.

\- Sorry, Dipper, I think I might be allergic to one of these flowers...  
\- N-No problem. - he stammered, offering her a tissue from the nearby table (which later turned out to be meticulously woven, centuries old fairy tapestry).  
\- What is the meaning of this? - a sudden voice boomed above their heads.

It turned out that Dipper should be paying attention to the world around him; the music has stopped, and their fall quickly became the centre of attention, as all of the fairies - and their friends - were gawking at them, observing this unusual scene.

\- What? We just fell to the ground. - Dipper answered - I mean, I know you guys can fly, so it's probably a bit weird to you, but...  
\- No, no, no. I meant that! - King Tobleron repeated, pointing at Wendy, whose puffed eyes and nose were now visibly more red.

Wendy looked up, blowing her nose one more time.

\- It's allergy, I guess. I never thought I had it, but you guys have so many flowers, and some of them must be causing it...  
\- Besides, she just sneezed. - Continued Dipper - How big of a deal is that?

King Tobleron flew closer to the boy's face and slowly pointed his miniature wooden sceptre, almost touching his nose.

\- The price of undermining the quality of Queen's flowers and suggesting that they may cause illnesses is punishable by... death.  
\- Oh Puck. - were the last words Mabel uttered before her hellish "Run!" commanded the humans to get away from the wedding as soon as possible.

The delicate and ornament green door were torn apart to pieces when the six humans rushed through it, trying to evade the storm of angry fairies. Neither Dipper nor Mabel dared to look behind, but the terrifying crescendo of buzzing noises gave a good impression of what was behind them.

\- Great plan Mabel! - Dipper shouted, trying not to trip over any of the roots - Got any more ideas?

A miniature spear flew past his face, causing the twins to take a sharp turn.

\- Well... - she answered, tucking her dressweater back to run faster - Look at the bright side, if we survive, we can always go to the after-party. Or the next royal wedding! And you can dance with Wendy again!  
\- Next one? What are you talking about?  
\- I might have fixed the fairies in a wrong order. - she started, jumping over a root - While you guys were dancing, I tried explaining it to some important-looking fairies, but they only said that King's decision was "good for their party" and that it will help them with their "military coup". Dipper, what's a coup?  
\- It means that we should stay out of the forest for some time, Mabel. - Dipper said, hearing the oncoming noise one more time.

They both jumped on their feet, seeing the horde of flying stinging beasts and rushed towards the shack, hoping that the same building that survived the end of the world could withstand a fairy scorned.


End file.
